Gleason's Gielinor Guide

Crossbow

Type							Heavy
Ammunition							Bolts
Two handed							No
Attack speed
Base							6 ticks (3.6 seconds)
Rapid							5 ticks (3.0 seconds)
Attack range
Base							7 tiles
Longrange							9 tiles

Crossbows are a category of weapons used in ranged combat that require a certain Ranged level to wield. They are different than bows in that they are horizontal and can be held with one hand (except for the Karil's crossbow, Light ballista and Heavy ballista), allowing a player to carry a shield with the other.

Crossbows require ammunition in the form of bolts.

Metal crossbows can be created through the Fletching skill. Most limbs and stocks can be purchased at the crossbow shop in the dwarven city of Keldagrim, or in the Dwarven Mine. The limbs of crossbows can be made using the smithing skill (all except for the dragon crossbow limbs).

Most crossbows (including the dragon hunter crossbow) have a normal attack range of 7 and a long distance range of 9. However, there are some exceptions:

The Phoenix crossbow has a normal attack range of 5 and a long distance range of 7.
The Dorgeshuun crossbow has a normal attack range of 6 and a long distance range of 8.
Karil's crossbow, the hunter's/hunters' sunlight crossbows, Armadyl crossbow, and Zaryte crossbow have a normal attack range of 8 and a long distance range of 10.
The light and heavy ballistae have a normal attack range of 9 and a long distance range of 10.
The "plain" crossbow has an attack range of 10 regardless of attack style.

Combat styles

	Attack type	Weapon style	Level boost
Accurate	Heavy	Accurate	+3 Ranged
Rapid	Heavy	Rapid	None
Longrange	Heavy	Longrange	+3 Defence

List of crossbows

Free-to-play crossbows

Free-to-play has access to only two crossbows that are both available from level 1 Ranged. They have both +6 Ranged accuracy and are only capable of shooting bronze bolts.

Item		Attack Bonuses					Defence Bonuses					Other
Item
	Crossbow	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	8.000	10
	Phoenix crossbow	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	3.628	5

Standard crossbows

Metal crossbows can be created through the Fletching skill. Most limbs and stocks can be purchased at the crossbow shop in the dwarven city of Keldagrim, or in the Dwarven Mine.

Item		Attack Bonuses					Defence Bonuses					Other
Item
	Bronze crossbow	0	0	0	0	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	4.000	7
	Blurite crossbow	0	0	0	0	30	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	4.000	7
	Iron crossbow	0	0	0	0	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	4.000	7
	Steel crossbow	0	0	0	0	54	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	5.000	7
	Mithril crossbow	0	0	0	0	66	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	5.000	7
	Adamant crossbow	0	0	0	0	78	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	6.000	7
	Rune crossbow	0	0	0	0	90	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	6.000	7
	Dragon crossbow	0	0	0	0	94	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	6.000	7

Other crossbows

Item		Attack Bonuses					Defence Bonuses					Other
Item
	Dorgeshuun crossbow	0	0	0	0	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	2.267	6
	Hunters' crossbow	0	0	0	0	55	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	5.000	8
	Hunters' sunlight crossbow	0	0	0	0	79	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	6.000	8
	Karil's crossbow	0	0	0	0	84	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	3.628	8
	Dragon hunter crossbow	0	0	0	0	95	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	7.000	7
	Armadyl crossbow	0	0	0	0	100	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	1	6.000	8
	Zaryte crossbow	0	0	0	0	110	14	14	12	15	16	0	0%	0	1	6.001	8

Ballistae

Two-handed crossbows that shoot javelins instead of bolts.

Item		Attack Bonuses					Defence Bonuses					Other
Item
	Light ballista	0	0	0	0	110	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	0	0	3.000	9
	Heavy ballista	0	0	0	0	125	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%	15	0	6.000	9

Demonic Pacts League

The King's barrage is only available during Demonic Pacts League as a unique drop from the King Black Dragon (Echo).

Item		Attack Bonuses					Defence Bonuses					Other
Item
	King's barrage	0	0	0	0	130	20	20	20	25	60	0	0%	14	0	6.000		9

Ammunition table

Level		Accuracy bonus	Ammo
1	Crossbow	+6	Bronze bolts
1	Phoenix crossbow	+6	Bronze bolts
1	Bronze crossbow	+18	Bronze bolts
16^[a]	Blurite crossbow	+30	Up to blurite bolts
26	Iron crossbow	+42	Up to iron bolts
28	Dorgeshuun crossbow	+42	Up to iron bolts (except silver) Bone bolts
31	Steel crossbow	+54	Up to steel bolts
36	Mithril crossbow	+66	Up to mithril bolts
46	Adamant crossbow	+78	Up to adamant bolts
50	Hunters' crossbow	+55	Kebbit bolts Long kebbit bolts
61	Rune crossbow	+90	Up to runite bolts
64	Dragon crossbow	+94	Up to dragon bolts
65	Light ballista	+110	Javelins
66^[b]	Hunters' sunlight crossbow	+79	Sunlight antler bolts Moonlight antler bolts
70	Karil's crossbow	+84	Bolt racks
70	Dragon hunter crossbow	+95	Up to dragon bolts
70	Armadyl crossbow	+100	Up to dragon bolts
75^[c]	Heavy ballista	+125	Javelins
80	Zaryte crossbow	+110	Up to dragon bolts

^ Also requires completion of The Knight's Sword.
^ Also requires 50 Hunter.
^ Also requires completion of Monkey Madness II.

Fletching table

Level		Experience	Total
9	Stock (wood)	6	24
	Bronze (unstrung)	12
	Bronze (strung)	6
24	Stock (oak)	16	64
	Blurite (unstrung)	32
	Blurite (strung)	16
39	Stock (willow)	22	88
	Iron (unstrung)	44
	Iron (strung)	22
46	Stock (teak)	27	108
	Steel (unstrung)	54
	Steel (strung)	27
54	Stock (maple)	32	128
	Mithril (unstrung)	64
	Mithril (strung)	32
61	Stock (mahogany)	41	164
	Adamant (unstrung)	82
	Adamant (strung)	41
69	Stock (yew)	50	200
	Rune (unstrung)	100
	Rune (strung)	50
78	Stock (magic)	70	275
	Dragon (unstrung)	135
	Dragon (strung)	70

Changes

Date	Changes
24 September 2015 (Update)	It is now possible to boost your fletching level to make crossbows like most other equipment.
18 June 2007 (Update)	Crossbows were rebalanced, making them hit harder and fire faster.

Trivia

According to the Bow and Arrow salesman, crossbows were created with dwarven engineering.^[1]

References

^ Bow and Arrow salesman. Old School RuneScape. "Ahh crossbows. Not exactly what I'd call skilled ranging, but I guess dwarven engineering is good, what did you want to know?"

Crossbow (weapon)